الرئيسية
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Voicing cautious optimism, the top NATO
commander in Afghanistan said Tuesday that he's seeing some signs of a
possible lifting of Pakistan's communications blackout imposed on the
U.S.-led coalition after NATO airstrikes killed two dozen Pakistani
forces last month.
Marine Gen. John Allen revealed for the first
time that he spoke on the phone Monday with Pakistan army chief Gen.
Ashfaq Pervez Kayani — their first conversation since the airstrikes —
and that they both expressed a commitment to work through the incident
and try to restore coordination between their forces along the border.
"I
do have a sense of progress," Allen told reporters at a news briefing
at Camp Eggers in Kabul, describing the phone call as businesslike and
cordial. "The conversation was clearly about attempting to resolve the
issue ... around the border incident, in the sense that, lets restore
border coordination so that we can move on."
He added that he
believes Pakistan will soon send its liaison officers, who were pulled
after the Nov. 26 incident, back to the border coordination centers
and/or NATO headquarters in Kabul. Allen said the two did not discuss
when Pakistan would reopen its border crossings to NATO convoys
transporting supplies for troops in Afghanistan.
Allen's made his
comments shortly after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived for an
unannounced visit to Afghanistan to talk with his commanders, including
plans for an update on U.S. relations with Pakistan. His visit comes as
the U.S. grapples with the chilly relationship, as well as ongoing plans
for the withdrawal of 23,000 more troops in the coming year, the
transition of security to Afghan forces, and the impact of expected,
massive budget cuts on the military.
commander in Afghanistan said Tuesday that he's seeing some signs of a
possible lifting of Pakistan's communications blackout imposed on the
U.S.-led coalition after NATO airstrikes killed two dozen Pakistani
forces last month.
Marine Gen. John Allen revealed for the first
time that he spoke on the phone Monday with Pakistan army chief Gen.
Ashfaq Pervez Kayani — their first conversation since the airstrikes —
and that they both expressed a commitment to work through the incident
and try to restore coordination between their forces along the border.
"I
do have a sense of progress," Allen told reporters at a news briefing
at Camp Eggers in Kabul, describing the phone call as businesslike and
cordial. "The conversation was clearly about attempting to resolve the
issue ... around the border incident, in the sense that, lets restore
border coordination so that we can move on."
He added that he
believes Pakistan will soon send its liaison officers, who were pulled
after the Nov. 26 incident, back to the border coordination centers
and/or NATO headquarters in Kabul. Allen said the two did not discuss
when Pakistan would reopen its border crossings to NATO convoys
transporting supplies for troops in Afghanistan.
Allen's made his
comments shortly after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived for an
unannounced visit to Afghanistan to talk with his commanders, including
plans for an update on U.S. relations with Pakistan. His visit comes as
the U.S. grapples with the chilly relationship, as well as ongoing plans
for the withdrawal of 23,000 more troops in the coming year, the
transition of security to Afghan forces, and the impact of expected,
massive budget cuts on the military.